RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

A friend stopped by this week with news. "It's a very dark time in my life," she said. "Even my hands are black from the treatments." This week, as the rest of the world prepared for the winter solstice, my artist-friend tearfully disclosed that she is undergoing Cancer treatments. The winter solstice, also known as "the longest night" is a moment when many cultures ritualize seeing through the darkness to the promise of divine light. By continuing to create works of divine beauty, my artist-friend keeps her sights set on an illuminated future. "We don't want to see beauty," wrote C.S. Lewis. "we want to be part of it,"  and the beautiful promise of Winter Solstice makes it my NEWS OF WEEK.

In other religious art news from across the USA, and around the world:

• Christian Art of Week: Three gifts wrapped in the true meaning Christmas. [More News]
• Hindu Art of Week: The human body celebrated as both sensuous and sacred. [More News]
• Islamic Art of Week: Turkish fashion label wins Jamel Prize for Islamic art. [More News]
• Other Art of Week: Stonehenge Visitor Center opens marking Winter Solstice. [More News]
• January 2014 Meetup: "King Breakfast" in Cincinnati on January 20. [More Meetups]

We are all members, united in the search for human meaning through art from the religious imagination. For us, it's more than Art. It's Religion. We follow artists who dare to explore religious ideas with their creative vision. When you follow religious artists, you join others who do the same. Some of us join as one of the "Collectors" of the A&O Project who make the final decisions; others as "Curators" when they donate to the Artist Fund; and most of us join as "Subscribers" to this "free" weekly newsletter; (or follow on: Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, or Soundcloud). All are welcome.